Spicy Coconut Noodle Bowl

First of all, it’s soup. In theory. Tonight’s batch turned out more thick and noodle-y, hence the “bowl” and not “soup.”

Second, this is not a process that includes measured ingredients. That’s the beauty of soup. Throw some shit in a pot and it tastes good. Done.

Stuff you’ll need: Coconut milk Rice noodles Curry paste

What Else I Used Tonight: Chicken Mushrooms Serrano pepper Scallions

Put the rice noodles in water to soak. I used half a package, or one “section” or whatever the term is, which is a lot of noodles. Use less if you want more liquid-y soup.

Fry up some chicken thighs. Let cool for a bit, then bone and chop into small bits. I cooked four and put two in the soup.

Heat curry paste in a big pot. Just long enough to brown it and open it up a bit. How much curry? Good question. Josh makes our paste, and it’s not Minnesotan spicy. It’s actually spicy. I used about three teaspoons. I advise starting conservatively and adding more if you need it.

Add a can or two of coconut milk. And maybe half a can or so of water. Depends on how much soup you want and how thick you want it. I find too much water takes away all the fun of the coconut milk. You know those recipes that suggest you skim the cream off the top before using? Throw those in the trash. The cream is the good stuff. Coconut milk is good for you. If you want less fat make a broth-based soup.

Whisk the milk to make sure the curry is well blended. Taste and adjust if necessary.

Add the mushrooms, peppers, scallions, and cooked chicken. You can use all or none of those, or also add carrots, peppers, etc.

Simmer on low heat until the mushrooms (or carrots or peppers or whatever) are as soft or crunchy as you want them.

Add the noodles. They should still be a bit undercooked, which is fine because they will soak up the coconut milk and get mushy pretty quick. I like to break them up into smaller bits so you don’t have two-foot-long milky noodles whacking you in the face while you eat.